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This nest of a bird called the killdeer was protected by KBC with “Caution” taping from area construction activities as part of the Alameda Corridor, a project that provided rail lines to transport container cargo from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. Killdeers enjoyed making nests in the gravel placed as a bed for the new rail lines.

KBC assists the Metropolitan Water District and other utilities when maintenance activities are required at their facilities throughout southern California. Through on-call contracts, we conduct preconstruction surveys to ensure that activities do not result in damage or removal of vegetation that may harbor endangered or threatened species.

KBC biologists monitor construction activities for several projects in Southern California, including road grading and vegetation removal to assist our clients in complying with environmental laws regarding endangered species and migratory birds.

KBC provided the Natural Resources section for the City of Los Angeles Griffith Park Revised Master Plan, which entailed updated species surveys as well as recommendations regarding park management to preserve and enhance existing resources.

KBC conducted inventory surveys for all bird species, as well as focused surveys for an endangered bird called the Belding’s Savannah Sparrow, as part of a proposed restoration project at the Ballona Wetlands in Playa del Rey west of Los Angeles. Although surrounded by residential development, several Belding’s Savannah Sparrows continue to nest here every year.

KBC has the capability, through our extensive list of qualified subcontractors, to conduct focused surveys for any special-status plant, insect (and other invertebrates such as fairy shrimp), fish, amphibian, reptile, bird or mammal in southern California. In addition, KBC biologists monitor construction activities for many of these species. For example, during maintenance of the Colorado River Aqueduct, KBC monitored the activities of construction and maintenance vehicles and workers to ensure the activities did not adversely affect individuals or burrows of the Desert Tortoise, an endangered species shown in this photo.

KBC has an on-call contract with Southern California Edison and conducts surveys around deteriorated electrical poles to ensure that pole repair or replacement will not adversely affect a special-status species or result in violations of the federal Clean Water Act, federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act or related provisions of the California Fish and Game Code.

KBC conducts focused surveys for the California Gnatcatcher, listed as a threatened species. Note the color band on this bird—KBC also has a federal Master Banding permit and special permits through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conduct color-banding studies on California Gnatcatcher and other birds such as the California Least Tern.

KBC conducted 3 years of surveys at 26 stations throughout the Los Angeles Harbor for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine primary foraging areas for the California Least Tern. KBC conducted similar studies at the Oceanside Harbor which included surveys for the California Brown Pelican to evaluate the potential impact of proposed harbor dredging on the California Brown Pelican and California Least Tern.

KBC has monitored nesting of the California Least Tern, an endangered species, at several of the 36 protected nesting sites in California. This photograph was taken at the Port of Los Angeles, which is required to maintain 15 acres annually of protected nesting habitat for the least tern.  Despite expansion of harbor facilities and construction of additional container terminals, the annual number of California Least Tern nests in the harbor has increased from approximately 50 in the early 1990’s to over 1,000 in 2004.

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